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Monday, April 18, 2011

Counting Gifts with Gratitude

It has been a very busy and stressful week for us! My sweet niece, Danielle, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Nolan Michael, on Wednesday, April 13th! She was induced early (37 weeks) as her blood pressure went to a critically high point. Nolan was safely born and everything seemed good for the first few hours. Then they started to suspect something was wrong, so after some testing they determined that he had holes in his lungs and pneumonia.

Baby Nolan was in critical condition and had to be transferred to a different hospital that was equipped to treat his condition, but Danielle, who was still on complete bed rest had to stay behind. It was a heart wrenching time as this young mom cried out in agony as she watched her little one being taken away.

We were able to make the trip home to see Danielle and Nolan this past weekend and it was a joyful but very emotional time. Danielle was finally discharged and was reunited with her little one, but she is still in a lot of pain and she wears her emotions on the outside. It was hard for us to witness the highs and lows of a young mom with a critically ill newborn. It was also a privilege to be close to her to comfort and support her in this difficult time.

The good news is that as of last night, Nolan has been showing some improvement! We are all praying that he will continue to gain strength and health.

I was able to take a few photos while I was there and I am so happy to share them as they are at the top of my list of gifts this week! Nolan is in an oxygen tent, so the photos are not too clear.

#80. Welcoming little Nolan into our lives and into our hearts

#81. newborn feet and a mother's loving touch

#82. four generations (Tears were being shed just moments before I took this picture, but I made them all smile for me.)

#83. the miracle of medicine

#84. hospital staff that do their job with compassion

#85. a sweet Jewish cardiologist, a slightly bent older man, with a long grey beard and sparkling blue eyes, that tested Nolan's heart while we were there. He assured Danielle that his little heart was 'a million times stronger than 1,000 hearts'!

#86. the same Jewish doctor, with his beautiful Jewish accent, taking the time to explain to Danielle that the name Nolan Michael means 'close to God'

#87. all of us who watched this sweet doctor being convinced that he was actually an angel in disguise

#88. baby gifts to welcome Nolan home

#89. celebrating my Mom's 83rd birthday!

#90. a home-made waffle breakfast

May your week be filled with gifts too numerous to count! May your heart give thanks to God for His wondrous ways ~

Joanne, you brought me to tears today. Prayers for continued improvement for Nolan ... he is so sweet. And he certainly does not look like an unhealthy baby! And your mom! - I hope I look that good in my 80s!!

My Katie was born with pneumonia- she was in the same oxygen tent. It was a very hard time for us but now she is a wonderful, perfectly healthy, 17 year old. It is such a hard thing to go through and I feel for your niece. I hope and pray that Nolan will be a fantastic success story like Katie.

You know that I believe that every baby is a gift from God and I have faith that God will help Nolan and Danielle find the strength that they both need to recover from this bumpy beginning. My heart and prayers go out to you all. Happy Birthday to your Mom and a virtual hug for Great Aunt Joanne!

What a cutie Nolan is!! Such a sweetheart!! I will keep him and his mom and the whole family in my prayers. I hope he will be able to come home soon. Your mom looks fabulous!!!Happy Easter to you and your family!!

Life is good and each new day holds many blessings if we but know how to recognize them! My blog is a place where I can share some of the blessings in my life including my love of family, paper crafting, travel, cooking and reading. Thanks for stopping by!